Space Ghost
Chapter 41
"Try to be careful this time, Dad." Alexis watched him fly away and down to the city.
The same rhino as last time was trying to rip New York City to pieces. Rick actually did step out in front of it this time just like last time. This time, though, Rick knew how it fired so he simply side stepped it and shot his Hypno ray; it just stood there. "Good boy. Now we just have to wait for your friends to show up and take you away." Rick activated his invisibility and waited.
He really was interested in just who these two were and why they were wearing what they were wearing. However, he didn't last time so he didn't this time. The rhino was gone and that was enough.
Next he flew up to the roof, picked up an undamaged Kate, and took her back to the ship. She was supposed to disappear for two months while she was healed.
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Rick grinned at her. "I see you're in one piece this time."
"Being crushed once is enough, thank you. Besides now I get to spend that time with my husband and you guys." Kate thought that was a much better outcome. "I still have to explain it all to my boss and my friends." She wasn't looking forward to lying to them about where she'd been. And she had to remember to talk about Space Ghost as the news was going to begin calling him.
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Instead of spending time unconscious on a medical bed Kate spent it proving that she was still the king of the go-karts and making love to her husband. Since she couldn't explain having a tan she stayed away from the beach. That didn't mean that she didn't use the pool and have fun with the wave machine.
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"There you are." Kate had been looking for Rick. "Can you take me back down to the planet? Any place will do. I need to buy some coffee." She had to have some coffee. She just had to. "I know I can't drink it. But I can have decaf. …Please." She wasn't going to enjoy it nearly as much, but coffee was coffee.
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Since they were over New York City it was easy to move across the border, take Kate down to Montreal, and let her do some shopping. Using her communicator she called Rick to tell him that she was ready to come back. So an invisible Rick went down and saw her standing there with a box. "Just how much did you buy?"
"All I could afford which also turned out to be all they had." Kate was smiling widely since she finally had real coffee.
With both of them invisible Rick took her back up and bemused, watched her go to the kitchen. She was going to grind her beans and have a cup of real coffee right now. Well, as real as decaf could be.
Ador had learned she was back and guessed correctly. "So this is what you had to have." He picked up the open bag and examined it. "Kicking Horse coffee. Certainly sounds tasty." Ador made a face that showed he was sure it was anything but. Even smelling it had him turning away.
"More for me." Kate wasn't offended. She moaned after taking her first sip. Even if it was decaf. She was willing to make sure she only had one cup a day.
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Of course the time came when she had to go back home and face friends that she hadn't seen in years. Even worse she had to pretend that she had only just seen them a couple months ago before she disappeared. A month, four weeks, and several days.
"Girlfriend, what's going on with you?" Lanie knew something was off. She just couldn't put her finger on it.
"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. Just because I was gone for a while doesn't have anything to do with your imagination," Kate said calmly, even if lying did hurt a little.
Lanie stared at her and watched her leave to go back to her desk.
"Beckett, my office." Kate had been gone over two months and he had questions.
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"What did he say?" Espo quizzed her after she made it to her desk.
"Same thing you want to know. We're good." Kate got back to work. It actually felt really weird since she hadn't done this job for years.
Getting her first dead body after being back turned out to be a big help. She was beginning to feel more like her old self. Though she did feel different. Mostly because while she was down here, she missed her husband. She wanted to see him. To touch him. To kiss him and make love to him.
It was going to be a little while before Coonan was going to show up at her place. She really wanted to get this over with so she could go back to her husband.
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Kate was home and knew what today was. It was the start of the biggest few days of her life. She took out her tiny little communicator. "Are you ready?" Kate asked Rick.
He knocked on her door. "Just open the door and let me in." Kate grinned and opened the door to find him on the other side.
"I'll get it this time," Rick said when someone that was unexpected knocked on her door. When he answered the door he allowed Coonan to try and stab him only to find out that his knife wouldn't penetrate his suit. Rick used his Hypno ray on him then went away while Kate got him to admit everything while she recorded it.
So far, while a few things were minor changes like him trying to stab Rick instead of her, everything was going perfectly. Just like last time.
Now she had a choice to make. Hal Lockwood was going to find his way into the precinct and kill Coonan in their holding cell. The question was would she try and prevent it or let it all play out again?
The difference this time was that Rick had left her with a communications tab so she could contact anyone on the ship that wasn't going to move. Rick had plans to stay right there. He may need to move the ship a little depending on air traffic but he wasn't going back up into orbit like he'd done last time. What he didn't know was that even while invisible, someone was noticing their entrance through the atmosphere every time he did it. This time it only occurred just the once.
"Alexis?" Kate figured she was the smartest and could help her decide what to do.
"Kate, how's it going?" She was curious. Her dad hadn't reported anything different or unusual. Kate had been gone for a while and Ador was moping around the ship and resisted trying to be happier.
"I need your help. I have Coonan and he's now in our holding cell after giving us a recorded confession. Next is that someone's going to steal our only copy of that confession and a man named Hal Lockwood is going to sneak in and kill him. I'm not really sure just what to do. Part of me wants to stop Lockwood and catch him in the act so I can arrest him. Another part wants me to find out who stole our copy." She was a cop and this was her mother's case. The fact that she was even asking for help told her just how far she had come over the last few years.
"If you don't do what you did last time you'll change what happens next. Maybe Bracken doesn't come to New York to do his interview. He won't be there to have Dad get him to confess in front of everyone. I'm really sorry, Kate, but you need to let this Lockwood guy kill him and lose your recording. Then you get Bracken to show up," Alexis reminded her.
"Damn!" Kate was afraid she would say that.
"Once you have Bracken it'll all work out in the end. Just keep in mind right after you arrest Bracken the first Xindi ship will show up. Dad will be down to collect you before that. Be ready for him." Alexis killed the communication.
"Damn." She was so close that she could taste it. The Xindi better not screw all this up for her.
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"Senator William H. Bracken is under arrest for murder. Several counts in fact," Kate informed him.
He saw her badge and knew she was within her rights. However, he couldn't allow it to happen. "I'm afraid the Senator is under our protection and I can't permit you to continue." He was stretching his authority but he had little choice.
"Turn around, Bracken, and place your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for murder." Kate produced her cuffs and watched as Bracken did as he was told.
"I'm afraid I can't allow this." He literally put his hand on Kate's arm to stop her. That got her to quickly draw her weapon and point it at his head. But everyone else in the room that was armed drew their weapons, except for this guy.
"You are interfering with an officer of the law in her duties. Protecting a murder suspect who has just confessed on camera is also an offense." Kate wasn't sure how this was going to end. But she was arresting Bracken and if she had to shoot her way out of this, this idiot would to be the first to die.
She was rescued when suddenly four uniformed officers came running in and seeing guns everywhere they drew theirs and ordered everyone to lower their weapons. Kate had no idea where they came from but was glad to see them. Still everyone just kept on yelling at each other over who was going to do what.
Then something she really hadn't expected was seeing Espo, Ryan, and two more officers all with weapons drawn, come charging into the room.
"Beckett?" Espo had gotten word that Beckett needed help but he wasn't expecting this.
"Bracken has just confessed to eight murders and is under arrest. These men are interfering in the duties of an officer who is enforcing the law," Kate announced again and not just for the benefit of Ryan, Espo, and the officers but also for the guy who was still filming all this. He and the reporter had just hit the jackpot and interview of the century and were going to milk it for all it was worth.
"She's correct. Bracken just confessed to ordering eight people to be killed," the reporter confirmed.
"Arrest these men," Kate ordered. The four relinquished their weapons and all four had their hands cuffed behind their backs. It allowed Kate to finish arresting Bracken then read him his rights.
"Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?" Kate asked Bracken.
"Yes," Bracken replied; he didn't really understand the words if not their actual meaning in his present state.
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Kate watched as Bracken was loaded into the back of a police cruiser while the cameraman and the reporter covered it all. "Guard those two. We're not losing this video like we lost the last one," Kate ordered, looking at Ryan and Espo. "Make sure you get several copies and find places to hide them."
"On it." Ryan pulled a number of uniforms together and went everywhere the reporter and her cameraman went.
"Why are you here?" She looked at Espo. She hadn't asked for them. She hadn't called for them and certainly wasn't expecting them. Though she was glad they were here.
"We got a message to come here because you were arresting Bracken," Espo answered. Even if he didn't know who had sent the message.
"Space Ghost," Kate whispered. She really did owe that man and didn't have any idea how she was going to thank him.
"Space Ghost?" Espo looked around. "Where?" He didn't see him anywhere.
Kate shrugged. "I have no idea. He's invisible."
"You believe in invisibility?" That didn't sound like the Beckett he was used to.
"I do now." She now believed in a lot of things. She had gotten here the hard way but somehow that was how she always seemed to do things.
Yet as she saw the car taking Bracken away she felt a little empty.
"We need to get back and get a copy of that recording. I want several copies and I want guards on the holding cell this time. No one is sneaking in and killing him or those four." She wanted Bracken to go to court, be found guilty, and rot to death in prison of old age.
"Let's move." She had Bracken but she wasn't done yet. Too much had gone wrong already and didn't need for more things to go wrong.
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"What's going on?" Roy was out of his office when he spotted Bracken with his hands cuffed behind his back being escorted to holding.
"I got a confession. He's admitted to killing eight people including my mother and this time we still have the video that a local TV station made. Ryan's at the station right now making sure he gets several copies to distribute just in case. In addition–" Kate was interrupted when the four guards were brought in with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
"And those four?" Roy watched the four being taken to holding.
"They tried to prevent me from arresting Bracken after he confessed to killing eight people," Kate explained.
"Beckett, my office." He needed to go through this with her.
"Yes, sir, right after I make sure the holding cell's well manned to prevent any of them from being killed while in our custody." Kate followed everyone else and left Roy behind. This was far too special to get it wrong.
Satisfied that there were two uniformed officers that would be on duty in and just outside of holding 24 hours a day, she went past Espo on the way to Roy's office.
"Get out an APB for Hal Lockwood. Bracken admitted that he ordered Lockwood to kill Coonan in our holding cell," Kate told Espo who looked shocked. Nothing had ever come this easily before. Still he believed her and got busy trying to find one Hal Lockwood. "And get that lead prosecutor down here, too."
"Sir?" Kate was at his door.
"Come in and close the door."
"I got him, sir. He confessed of his own free will in front of witnesses and we have it all on video. Ryan's making sure there are several copies. The TV station has the ultimate story to put on air." She just didn't know when they were going to do that.
All of this left Roy with a problem and he didn't know what to do about it. "I'll call the lead prosecutor." If he could delay his arrival it would give him time to think.
"Espo's already done that, sir. He should be here in minutes, I'm guessing." A confession of a killer that was done it in front of witnesses and on video that wasn't missing would likely get him here at light speed.
Roy was trapped and knew it. He still needed to plan how to handle this. If she knew he was involved in this he would have a weapon being pointed at him if not shoved into his mouth right now.
"Sorry, you wanted to see me, sir?" Kate had been doing all the talking and he had asked her into his office to talk to her.
"If you're satisfied with everything you need to write your report while it's still fresh in your mind." That should slow her down a little.
"Yes, sir. The second I'm done I'll be in the holding area all night." There was no way she was going home. Not now. She had Bracken right where she wanted him.
Kate was out of Roy's office and went straight to Espo. "The prosecutor's on his way. The APB for Hal Lockwood is out," he reported.
"See if you can contact Ryan at the TV station. We need those copies and find out what you can about what the station's going to do with their copy and when." Kate then went to her desk to write her report.
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Kate took her just finished report over to the copier and made two copies. One was going on Roy's desk, one was going with her, and one was going to be stashed somewhere in this precinct just as soon as no one was looking.
"Anything?" Espo was still here as well for which she was thankful.
"No information on Lockwood. Ryan's checked in and says he has three copies. He's going to mail one of them to you, mail another to the chief, and bring the other here. He doesn't know what the TV station has planned. They were still talking about it."
"I need a favor." Kate wasn't sure how he was going to take this.
"Name it." He was willing to do a lot.
"I need extra clips for my weapon. I want to see if you can check out a semi-automatic. Get me a thermos of coffee and a sandwich. I'm spending the night in holding. I know there are guards but I'm taking no chances," Kate said.
"You got it!" Espo got up and headed out to get everything she had asked for.
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"I only need one." Espo showed up with two semi-automatics, extra clips for everything, two thermoses and two sandwiches, and even two blankets and two pillows.
"I'm going with you. If they get past me it's because I'm dead." He was going to set up shop just outside while Kate was going to be inside.
"I can't ask you to do that." It was kind of him but she could handle this.
"You're not asking. I'm volunteering. So go use the ladies room and let's get started." Espo wasn't taking a no over this.
"Thanks, Espo, and I've already used the restroom." Kate took her weapon and checked to make sure it was ready to go. Nothing was happening this time unless it was over her dead body.
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Kate wasn't really sure of the timing. Last time Rick had shown up when Russia had launched every ICBM they had at the United States. That had only happened because they'd lost last time. They needed to win this time to prevent that.
Kate heard her communication tab beep at her. "It's just me and Bracken and he's still out of it." She looked at him and saw that he was still staring at nothing.
"It's time. Stay or do I come get you? Ador's miserable up here, you know." Rick would give her a minute or two to make her decision.
Kate was miserable down here as well. She looked at Bracken. If they lost again he might not have time to come get her. Then they'd run for Ador's planet and live the best they could.
At one time she would never have dreamed she would do this. But she was different now. The last few years had changed her. Ador had begged her not to put her dark coat back on. To not build her walls back up and keep him out.
"Come get me. I'll be out front waiting for you." Kate ended the communication, got up, and saw not just Espo sitting out front but Ryan as well.
Suddenly she had more best friends than she'd ever had in the past. "Beckett?" Espo was wondering why she was out here.
"I got a call. I have a lead on Lockwood. If I can get him before he gets here I can stop him," Kate lied and hated it.
"I'll come with you," Ryan said.
"I need you to take my place. I've got uniforms to help me. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone." She really hoped it would work like that. Lais would call it praying so maybe it was. She smiled; her friend was rubbing off on her.
"I'll be back. If this works you two will be here for nothing." Kate headed for the front door.
Kate was still carrying her weapons. Then she heard his voice. "Wrap your arm around me." She suddenly felt his around her and used her free arm to wrap around him. Then suddenly she was flying and soon out in space.
Kate took her weapons with her and ran to the bridge right behind him. The second she saw him her heart soared and knew without a doubt that she loved him with all of her heart. "God, I missed you." She kissed Ador for all she was worth.
"We need to move." Rick got in his seat and took them out into space.
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"If I have this right, we have ten minutes, Dad." They were in position. They would deal with the first one then move and deal with the second one. If they lost and could still run they would run for their lives and live it out on a planet in a far off galaxy.
"Five minutes," Alexis called out.